'He's playing bit too aggressively in Tests': Sunil Gavaskar on Shubman Gill's approach

Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar believes that Shubman Gill is playing Test cricket “too aggressively” and that the 24 year-old should keep the different nature of the red ball and the white ball in mind. Gill endured scores of 2 and 26 in the first Test against South Africa in Centurion, which India went onto lose by an innings and 32 runs.

“I think he is playing a bit too aggressively in Test cricket. There is a slight difference when you play Test cricket when compared to T20I and ODI cricket. The difference is in the ball.

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“The red ball moves a little more than the white ball in the air and off the pitch as well. It bounces a little more too. He should keep that in mind,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

While Gill largely had a productive year in limited-overs cricket, in Tests, he managed to score just one fifty in 10 innings. The scores of his other nine outings read: 21, 5, 13, 18, 6, 10, 29 not out, 2, and 26.

Gavaskar hoped Gill trains even harder and performs well to return to form. “Shubman Gill started off his career so well and we praised his shots. We can only hope that he gets back into his form. Hope he trains harder and does well in the future,” said the 74-year-old.

South Africa lead the two-match Test series 1-0. The defeat for India meant that the wait for a Test series win on South African soil extended further. The second Test will be played in Cape Town from 3 January.